Escape from Whitestone Hold

Reunion- Chapter 8

Sapphira's eyelids fluttered open, putting her face-to-face with the ceiling of a drooping leather tarp, dimly lit by the flickering light of a dying fire.  Rain continued to pour down on the outside of the hastily-pitched tent, with thunder rumbling ominously in the distance.  And there was a strange burning sensation in Sapphira's throat, as though she had just swallowed an entire spice cabinet full of different herbs. She gasped and sat up, putting a hand to her tingling neck as though to scratch away the strange taste. As she sat up, she felt a small amount of unknown liquid leak out of the corners of her mouth and trickle down to her still-soaked clothes, and her ribs cried out in muted pain for a moment. But the pain was fading fast, almost as though it had never been there at all. Her foot, arm, and other aches also seemed to be fading, leaving her feeling rested and energized.  But Sapphira was a bit too preoccupied to care about any of that.

A young blue dragonborn with glasses was standing before her, at the foot of the mat Sapphira was laying on. He was holding a half-filled waterskin and was smiling mischeviously at her as a few drops of a greenish, almost luminescent liquid fell to the ground from the flask.  Meanwhile, an older white dragonborn and a blue female sat on either side of Sapphira's mat, looking concernedly down upon her.  It was her family.

"Dang it, Avnir!!!" Sapphira coughed, spitting out a little more of the spicy goo in her mouth.  "Why do you always have to put so much cinnamon in those potions!?" She demanded, shuddering as she felt her stomach churn, feeling like heartburn.  It made her feel a bit queasy, but not enough to vomit. "Health potions aren't even supposed to HAVE mustard!!!"

"Hey, aren't I allowed to take some creative liberty with my draughts?" The young blue dragonborn responded, casually closing the top of his waterskin with a smirk. "How else would we discover new things?"

"I'd hardly call your sick experiments 'discoveries...'  You just want to make me suffer." Sapphira accused him with a glare.  Avnir shrugged cheerfully and slung the strap of the waterskin over his shoulder. Classic brothers...  Sapphira sighed annoyedly, almost sounding like a low growl before she was interrupted by her own involuntary hiccup.  Avnir laughed in the background as the older blue female dragonborn spoke.

"Thank goodness you're alright!  We were so worried about you!" She said, holding Sapphira's hand comfortingly. Sapphira looked to her with a smile, trying to ignore her complaining stomach.

"It's great to see you too!  I... I thought you guys were gone..." Sapphira faltered, reaching forward to hug her parents.  Her father, the white dragonborn, enveloped Sapphira and her mother in a tight embrace.  It was the best hug Sapphira had ever experienced.  She could scarcely believe it... Her family was alive after all. And they were all here!  Words could not do justice to the feeling of seeing them again, after nearly a week of thinking they were gone.  The anxious worries she'd been holding in the back of her mind began to melt away, along with the need for revenge on the Magistrate.  Instead, peace and contentment took their place, letting her feel truly at ease for the first time in days.  She tried to soak in every detail of this moment, so she would remember it forever.  The cozy fire, the smell of family, the tight embrace...  Of course, not all of the details were comfortable, like the horrendous taste still burning her throat, or the feeling of her drenched clothes sticking to her scales...  But still, the moment was perfect, almost like a dream.  Was this too good to be true?

"I'm not dead, am I?"  Sapphira asked lightly, trying to quell the tears welling up in her eyes. Her father laughed, gently releasing them from the embrace.

"No, no... You gave it a good effort though!"  He chuckled, patting her on the back.

"Yep, thank goodness your brother is a 'druggie,' huh?"  Avnir teased, turning and walking out of the tent, causing the small fire on the ground to flicker wildly and send dancing shadows across the ceiling.  Sapphira frowned after him in confusion as he left the dim tent and returned to the rain outside.